Looking Back
by LaPantouflarde
Summary: "Of course, this won't fix what was broken from the past but it's a start to putting the pieces back together." OQ High School AU. Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or its characters.


"Regina!" her mother looked up from her paperwork and smiled up at her before standing up and approaching her.

She smiled back and gave her a hug, "Hi mom."

Cora pulled away and patted Regina's cheek softly before resuming on her paperwork. "How was school?" she asked.

Regina sat in front of Cora's desk and sighed. "Alright," she shrugged. "Kind of hectic, but it's finals week next week so…" she sighed again. "I'm just so excited for Christmas break."

"Tell me about it," Cora chuckled.

"Where's Henry?" she asked. "I got him a cookie."

At the mention of her brother's name, Cora sighed in frustration. "Probably in his room."

Regina raised a brow. "What do you sound like you're upset with him? What did he do?"

Cora shook her head. "Nothing," she put her pen down. "I promised him last week that I would take him to the movies with Roland and his mother today."

"Okay?"

"But something came up at work and I have to be there in an hour." Cora said regretfully. "Henry didn't take it really well."

"That's no problem," Regina said. "I can take him, if you want?"

"Really?" Cora asked, surprised.

"Yeah!" she nodded. "We'll make a day out of it."

"Thank you, dear." She smiled at her gratefully. "I just feel so bad for letting him down. I haven't spent time with him in a while."

"I'll talk to him, don't worry about it." She reassured her. "What time are we supposed to meet Roland and Mrs. Locksley?"

"In half an hour," she told her. "Here," Cora took out a couple twenty dollar bills from her purse and handed it to Regina. "Go tell Henry and I'll call Sarah and tell her the change of plans."

"Okay," she smiled.

"Thanks, Regina."

"No problem." And with that, she headed upstairs to Henry's room.

* * *

"Henry?" she called out as she knocked.

"Come in," he heard him say softly. She opened the door to find him sitting on his bed reading a comic book. His face lit up when he realized it was her. "Hey!" he said as he got off the bed and hugged her around the waist.

"Hey, buddy." She smiled down on him. "Mom told me you were upset with her."

Henry's smile faded a little but he shook his head. "I'm not upset with her, I was just looking forward to watching the movie with Roland."

"Well, guess who's taking you instead?" she winked at him playfully.

"You?" Henry gasped and she nodded. "Really?"

"Yup," she chuckled. "Go on and get dressed. We're leaving in ten."

"Thanks Regina!" he said as he hugged her again. "I can't wait to hang out with Roland again!"

"You're welcome," she said. "I'll be in the car waiting, alright?"

* * *

Before she headed out into the driveway, Cora approached her with a guilty smile. "Regina, change of plans."

"What?"

"Sarah won't be able to make it."

"Oh," Regina furrowed her brows. "Did she want me to pick Roland up?"

"No, Roland's brother's accompanying him."

Regina's eyes widened. "Robin?"

"I know you have a crush on him –"

"I _used_ to, mother." Regina corrected her. "And that was, what, three years ago? I am over it. I didn't know what I was thinking."

Cora smirked. "Sure."

"I'm serious!" she scoffed.

"It doesn't matter," Cora said. "He's meeting you and Henry in fifteen so you two better hurry up."

"Why can't I just pick Roland up? Do I really have to spend the day with _him_?" she whined. "Why does he even have to be there? I'm responsible and –"

"I thought you were over him?" Cora regarded her with curiosity.

"I am!" Regina groaned. "Whatever." She rolled her eyes and walked away from her smirking mother. "I'm going to go. See you later."

She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous at all. She and Henry arrived early and they were now sitting on a bench waiting for Roland and Robin. She was glad Henry was too occupied with his phone to notice her fidgeting. It's been a while since she's spoken to Robin – well, 'a while' was an understatement. It's been three years already, she's over it… right?

* * *

"_So, are you going to do it?" she was startled by Emma's voice._

"_I don't know." She shrugged. "I'm too nervous."_

_Emma rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. "The dance is in two weeks."_

"_I know that." She said._

"_Then go ask him before it's too late!"_

"_You make it seem like it's easy."_

"_It is. Robin's your best friend, you talk to him about everything but you're afraid of asking him to the dance?" Emma claimed. "I already asked Neal."_

_Regina scoffed. "Well, of course you did. You two are already dating. Robin… doesn't even know I like him." She sighed. "And I don't even know if he likes me back."_

"_Trust me, he does."_

_Regina looked at her in disbelief. "And I should believe you because…"_

"_David told me."_

"_And you believe him because…"_

"_Regina!" Emma groaned._

"_Why do I have to ask him?" she whined. She sounded like her brother but she was so nervous._

_Emma looked at her like she was stupid. "Because it's a Sadie Hawkins dance, Regina. That's why."_

"_But –"_

"_No." Emma said firmly. "You're going to ask him to the dance. You're going to ask him to the dance after their practice." She pointed towards the football field where they were practicing. "And I'm going to make sure you do."_

"_Emma –"_

"_What's the worst that could happen?" she asked, eyeing her with impatience._

"_He could say no." she said quietly. Emma smiled at her softly._

"_Then he's a jerk if he does."_

"_And then he doesn't talk to me ever again because I ruined our friendship for asking him to the dance."_

"_Regina!"_

"_Alright." Regina groaned. "Fine."_

"_Yes!" Emma cheered. "Come on, they're going to be done soon."_

* * *

She felt her heart beat faster when she heard Roland calling Henry with a cheerful voice. She tried her best to seem calm and collected when her eyes landed on Robin. She schooled her face into a disinterested one, her lips formed a tight smile as Robin glanced her way.

"Regina," he smiled as he approached her. "It's nice to see you."

She was speechless for a moment until Roland tugged on her jacket. "Regina?"

"Yes, Roland?" her eyes remained on Robin for a split second before giving Roland her full attention. She crouched down into his level and gave him a smile.

"Can Henry and I get some candy for the movie?" he asked sweetly.

"Yeah!" Henry chimed in. "Can we, Regina?"

"Sure," she said as she stood back up. She looked at Henry with a teasing smile, "Just don't tell mom, deal?"

Henry nodded. "Deal." He then turned to Roland, smirking. "Come on! Let's go see what we can get!" and with that, they ran towards the concession stand, leaving Regina and Robin alone.

She tried her best to keep her eye on both kids when she felt Robin stand beside her. She smiled when she saw Henry laugh hard at something Roland said. "It's fitting that they're best of friends, isn't it?"

"What?" she still won't look at him.

"Roland and Henry," he clarified. "It seems like they share the same personality. It's no wonder they've grown quite attached to each other."

She hummed in agreement. "I suppose."

"So, how've you been?" he asked and she could feel his shoulder touch hers.

"I've been well." She kept her replies short and simple.

She heard him sigh beside her. "I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Yes, well, whose fault was that?" she hissed under her breath.

Well, it seems like she wasn't over it after all.

* * *

"_I'm just going to go talk to Neal, alright?" Emma smiled. "You can do it, Regina."_

_Regina nodded as Emma approached Neal, who was walking back into the locker room. She spotted Robin and smiled when he looked at her surprised. "Regina? What are you doing here?"_

"_Emma," she started. "She… wanted to talk to Neal."_

"_Oh," he shrugged. "Alright." He made a move to walk by but Regina stopped him._

"_Wait!" He gave her a curious look. "I…"_

"_Regina, did you need something?" he asked with a soft smile and then his eyes widened. "Did we have plans for tonight?"_

"_Oh, no. I just…" She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me." She looked up at him nervously and gave him an uneasy smile. She could feel her hands shaking so she tucked them in her coat pocket._

"_Oh." Regina's smile faltered when she saw him frown. "Regina…"_

_She wished she hadn't listened to Emma, she wished she hadn't asked him… He was looking at her like she was a lost cause, and she can't have that. "I'm sorry. I –"_

"_No, it's alright." He said but he wouldn't look at her now. "Regina, look, you're a great girl…" She knew where this was going but she couldn't move or even talk. "I just… We've been friends for a long time and I… What we have now is great and –"_

"_It's just a dance, Robin." She teased but deep down, she wanted to rip her heart out so she wouldn't feel the pain of rejection._

"_I know but –"_

"_I get it." She cut him off. "Don't worry about it." She tried to smile._

"_I'm sorry."_

"_No, it's alright." She reassured him. "And I agree, what we have… Anyway," she shook her head and gave him a nod. "I, uh, I better go. Emma's probably waiting for me."_

"_Regina," he grabbed her softly by the arm._

"_Robin," she pulled away from his grasp. "I told you, it's alright. I'll see you tomorrow?"_

_He gave her a look of regret before he nodded. "See you tomorrow."_

_And with that, she walked away with tears in her eyes._

* * *

"Regina –"

"I'm sorry," she chuckled humorlessly. "I, uh, I didn't mean to…" she looked at him apologetically.

"It's quite alright," he shrugged. "I –"

"Regina! Come on!" Henry yelled from across the room. "We're going to miss the movie!"

Robin sighed heavily. "I guess we're being summoned."

She smiled in spite of herself. "Looks like it." She saw Robin open his mouth to say something but she didn't give him the chance to because she quickly approached Henry and Roland. They told her that they changed their mind and that they wanted popcorn instead.

"Are you sure?" she raised a brow. "No take backs."

Both nodded simultaneously. "Alright," she smiled. "What movie are we watching again?"

"Penguins of Madagascar!" Henry exclaimed. Then he said something incoherent that sent Roland into fits of giggles.

"What are they laughing about now?" she tensed when she heard Robin's voice behind her.

"Do I look like I know?" she snapped, and she didn't mean to sound so mean but him being here just makes her so edgy. He looked taken aback by her harsh tone.

"Right," he sighed. "Why don't you and the boys get the tickets and I'll take care of the snacks?" he suggested and she nodded in agreement. "Did you want anything?"

"I'll share whatever Henry's getting."

"Alright then." He smiled and walked towards the line for the concession stand.

She called the boys' attention and brought them over to the ticket stand. Henry and Roland were talking animatedly as they waited in line for their turn. Her thoughts drifted back to when she and Robin would spend their Friday nights watching Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, or when they were carefree and were just happy to be in the company of one another. They were best friends, much like how Henry and Roland are now, and it just all fell apart.

* * *

_She went home crying that night, she rushed to her bedroom and was followed by a concerned Cora._

"_Regina, dear." She said softly. "What's wrong?"_

_She let it all out as she hugged her mother. She cried her heart out, she told her how embarrassed she was, how hurt she was to be rejected by Robin. She blamed Emma. Blamed her for putting those false hopes in her mind when she said that Robin liked her back. She blamed herself for not being enough for Robin, for not being someone he wanted to be with. _

"_Why does life have to be so hard?" she cried, and Cora laughed softly, causing her to pull away and glare at her mother. "It's not funny!"_

"_Regina." Cora gave her a soft smile and wiped her tears away. "You're only fifteen. You have a long life ahead of you. There is more to life than Robin."_

"_But…" her lips trembled. "I love him." She admitted quietly._

"_Oh, honey." She said as she pulled her in for a hug. "I know you do, but this will pass. You'll find someone who will love you and who you'll love back."_

"_I don't want to go to school tomorrow."_

_Cora was silent for a beat. "Why is that?"_

"_What if he acts weird around me now?" she asked. "What if I ruined our friendship because I was dumb enough to ask my best friend to the dance?"_

"_Well then, it's his loss." She told her. "Regina, it's alright to be hurt but don't let that keep you from living your life. Like I said, you're only fifteen and I'm sure you'll look back to this moment and realize that maybe things happen for a reason."_

* * *

"Regina!" She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard both Henry and Roland calling her name. "Regina!"

She was a bit startled and blushed when she realized she's been staring at Robin. "Yes?" she cleared her throat and diverted her attention to both children.

Henry scrunched up his nose as he gave her an odd look. "Uh, it's our turn." He pointed towards the stand. "Hurry! I don't want to miss the movie!"

"Henry," she rolled her eyes as she approached the cashier. She smiled, "Four tickets to Penguins of Madagascar, please."

Once they've got the tickets, they waited for Robin to finish getting the snacks. She saw him struggling to figure out how to carry the popcorns and the drinks. "Come on," she scoffed as she addressed the kids. "Let's go help him out."

Robin looked sheepish when she stood next to him. "Thanks," he said when she grabbed two bottled waters. "I didn't really think this through."

"It doesn't matter," she muttered and handed one each to Roland and Henry before grabbing the two ones left on the counter. "Theater three." She told Robin and he nodded.

She beckoned the kids to follow her. She was delighted to see that they were the first ones there. Roland and Henry chose seats towards the back. She was about to sit by the aisle but Henry beat her to it. "Henry." She scolded lightly.

"I want to sit here," he said and then turned to Roland. "Sit beside me!"

But that would mean… "Henry," she chuckled nervously. "Where would I sit then?" she tried to sound teasing because she didn't want Robin to think that she was avoiding ending up sitting next to him… she was, but he doesn't have to know that. "How are we going to share the popcorn?"

"I can share with Roland." He shrugged as Roland sat beside him. She was about to protest but Robin already handed them their popcorn and their minds were already made up.

"Did you want to sit beside Roland or…?" Robin asked her.

"No, it's alright. I'm sure he –"

"Regina!" Roland beckoned her to move towards him. "Come sit next to me! Robin falls asleep every time we watch a movie and I don't want to hear him snore."

She couldn't help the snort she let out. "Does he?"

Roland nodded intensely. "He also likes to steal my popcorn."

"It's not stealing when we're sharing, Roland." Robin sighed. "Besides, it's not my fault you pick really boring movies to watch."

Roland's jaw dropped as if he was offended. "Madagascar 3 wasn't boring!" Robin chuckled, prompting Roland to pout and roll his eyes.

"You are such a child," Regina told Robin under her breath before sitting down beside Roland.

Robin merely smirked when he handed Henry and Roland one of the popcorns before sitting right next to Regina, making her more nervous than she already was. She can see Robin glance at her every once in a while when he thinks she doesn't see him. She wanted to tell him to stop but then he would know that she knows and it would just all be awkward and _why_ did it have to happen to her?

On her right, she heard Henry and Roland enthusiastically talking about the upcoming winter break. She shook her head in amusement when she heard Henry tell Roland about how he was planning on staying up all night Christmas Eve so he can catch a glimpse of Santa.

"Robin said Santa isn't real!" Roland said, causing Henry to gasp loudly.

Regina was shocked that Robin would even tell that to a six year old. She turned to Robin with her mouth agape. "How could you do that to a six year old?"

He struggled to say anything, his looked like he was guilty. "I…" he shrugged.

"Regina!" Henry called. "Please tell me Santa is real!"

"Of course he is," Regina glared at Robin before smiling at the both of them. "Don't listen to this idiot right here." She heard him snort beside her, "He's not going to get any presents this year."

Roland leaned forward to look at Robin and he stuck his tongue out. "I told you!" he laughed triumphantly before turning back to Henry to continue their earlier conversation.

"It's not my fault," he whispered to her. "He asked and I simply answered his question."

She shook her head as she chuckled. "You are such an idiot. I don't know how I put up with you all those years ago." She joked.

"I believe it was because of my charming personality."

"Right."

"Also, I was pretty awesome."

"I bet you were." She rolled her eyes.

"I mean, you were pretty great as well but I was _just_ amazing."

"You are full of yourself."

"Rightfully so." He winked at her and she was glad it wasn't bright enough for him to see her blush. "How's senior year?" he asked her casually.

"Alright," she shrugged before reached over to grab some popcorn. "I honestly can't wait for it to be over."

"Tell me about it," he shifted in his seat, his arm brushing against hers. "I'm just ready to move on to the next big adventure life has to offer."

"Have you decided where you're going next year?"

"NYU." She didn't need to look at him to know that he was smiling, she could feel happiness radiating off of him. She knew it's always been his dream to go to NYU.

"Just like you've always dreamed." She told him and he nodded with a soft smile.

"Just like I've always dreamed," he sighed contently. "How about you?"

"Columbia." She then just realized that she was going to be approximately half an hour away from Robin. How convenient.

"Oh," he smiled at her as if he knew what she was thinking. "That's great."

She was surprised at how easy it was to go back to how they were once were. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss their Friday movie nights, their friendly banters, or their crazy conversations about random things. They fell in silence as the trailers start playing, occasionally stealing glances at each other. The movie rolled and if Robin's hand somehow ended up very close to hers, well…

* * *

_It's been weeks since Regina's failed attempt to ask Robin to the dance. They acted like nothing happened but there was no denying that something definitely has changed between them. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, but something was different._

_They were in Regina's living room on a Friday night. The credits were rolling and Regina yawned in exhaustion. She looked up at the clock on top of the TV and saw that it was already half past midnight. On her right, she heard snoring and she chuckled softly. "Robin." She said loudly as she woke him up. "Robin!" she tried again when he wouldn't stir._

"_What?" he mumbled sleepily. "Ten more minutes."_

_She got up and she smacked him in the head. "Wake up!"_

"_Ouch!" he grabbed her wrist when she was about to hit him again. "Will you stop hitting me?"_

"_I will," she said. "When you stop being an idiot." She laughed when he pulled on her wrist, making her stumble and fall right beside him. "You have to leave now," she told him. "My parents are going to be home in a few minutes, you know how they get when you're here past midnight." _

_He groaned and let go of her wrist. "What time is it?" he yawned._

"_Past midnight."_

"_Smart arse," he mumbled under his breath._

"_It's twelve thirty-five," she said, smacking his arm. "Leave now before my parents come home and think that we're doing something inappropriate."_

_He scoffed. "Like what?"_

"_I don't know," she shrugged. "Stuff."_

"_Stuff?"_

"_Mhmm."_

"_Stuff like doing drugs or drinking alcohol or making out?" he joked._

_What? She blinked and laughed nervously before clearing her throat. "Yeah, something like that." She said as she turned to look at him._

_He looked back at her and it was only then that she realized how close they were to each other. He was regarding her with a gaze full of affection. It shouldn't really affect her but she knew she still had feelings for him despite his rejection. His intense gaze made her swallow hard and it was making her heart beat faster. She saw him lean in closer so she quickly looked away and made a move to stand up but he grabbed her wrist again and tugged her closer to him. His eyes drifted towards her lips for a brief moment before looking up at her eyes again. He grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her full on the mouth. She felt like electricity was running through her veins as she closed her eyes, her heart fluttered when she felt one of his hand run through her hair. Before she could drown in the feeling of his lips against hers, he pulled away abruptly but pressed his forehead against hers, his hands still on her._

_He sighed heavily and she smiled with her eyes closed. "Regina."_

_She chuckled breathily before opening her eyes. His distraught expression made her smile falter. He didn't look at all happy like she did. "What's wrong?"_

"_I…" he huffed out a frustrated breath before pulling back and sitting up straight. "I'm sorry."_

"_Robin –"_

"_I have to go." He stood up and gathered his things before running his hand through his hair. "This was a mistake." Oh. _

_The only thing she remembers before crying herself to sleep was Robin slamming the front door shut as he left her alone._

_He avoids her at all costs after that. She tried to put it all behind her and tell him that nothing had to change but he wouldn't even give her the time of day. It hurt – a lot – at first but she learned how to deal with it. It would have hurt less if he just talked to her and told her that he could only see her as a friend but all she got was disregard. She lost her best friend._

* * *

After the movie finished, Robin and Henry announced that they were starving so they convinced Regina to go grab dinner at Granny's. Since Robin and Roland walked to the theater, they all rode Regina's car to the diner.

Their drive was quiet – well, apart from the constant laughter coming from the two kids in the backseat – she and Robin seemed content with just the silence and stolen glances from time to time.

She hasn't been to the diner in months, what with heavy loads of homework, reading assignments, and projects, she barely had time to even think about her social life. Emma's been bugging her to go out and hang out with them but she's been too busy. Who knew that in one of her free days, she would have to spend it with Robin?

"I haven't see you here in a long time, young lady!" Granny said as they walked in the diner. She turned to the boys next, "Henry and Roland, it looks like you two have grown taller since you've been here!"

"I knew it!" Henry cheered. "I knew I got taller!"

Granny smiled. "Is it just the four of you today?" she asked as she grabbed menus from the counter.

Robin nodded and Granny led them into a booth. It shouldn't really be a surprise when Henry and Roland raced to sit together in one side of the booth, leaving her and Robin to sit beside each other – again. Granny handed them the menus and told them that Ruby would be serving them in a minute or two before asking them what they wanted to drink.

"I'll just have water, please." She told her before quirking a brow at Henry.

"Can I get orange juice?" Granny nodded at him and turned to Roland.

"Can I also get orange juice?"

"Sure thing, kiddo." Then turned to Robin. "Robin?"

"I'll just have a coke, Granny. Thank you."

"No problem." And with that, she went back to the kitchen, leaving them to look over the menu.

Robin being beside her distracted her. She should be deciding what to get but his arm is brushing hers and all she wanted to do was to cuddle up with him and… _What?_ If she only knew that it would only take today to reignite her feelings for Robin, she wouldn't have offered to take Henry out. Now, she feels like that fifteen year old loser who was left all alone after having her first kiss with the person she loved – and who didn't love her back. All the memories resurfacing, she didn't hear Robin calling her until he nudged her with his elbows.

"Are you alright?" he asked when she looked at him. His eyes were full of concern.

"What?"

"I asked if you were alright." He smirked. "You've been staring at the menu with your scary face on."

"My scary face?" her voice was far from amused. What scary face was he talking about?

"Your scary face." He repeated. "You know? When your face goes all…" he morphed his face into some kind of glare she couldn't understand. "Like this."

Her jaw dropped and she smacked his arm. "I do not have a scary face!" she would be angrier now but then he was laughing and she couldn't help her own laughter now.

"Believe me, you do." He shrugged. "Don't worry, you're still pretty adorable when you do it." Well, that left her speechless.

"Are you hitting on my sister?" Henry asked seriously, making her jaw drop again.

"Henry!" she said with wide eyes. "Where did you learn that?"

He shrugged. "I heard Emma say it a couple of times when you two were talking about Graham." She could tell he was about to say something else but then Roland leaned in and whispered something that made him gasp and smile. And just like that, they were in their own little world again.

Leave it up to Henry to make things more awkward with Robin. She couldn't even look at him anymore. "So," he started. "Is Graham still trying to get with Emma? I thought she and Neal were still together?"

"They are." She said. "He wasn't hitting on Emma. You know Neal would beat the crap out of Graham if he did." She laughed. "Remember when he tried to dance with Emma at the Winter Ball in our freshman year?"

He laughed as he nodded, "Oh, I remember quite well. Neal was furious." He sighed before continuing. "So he was hitting on you then?" he sounded… almost jealous – but no, he probably wasn't. Was he, though?

"He tried." She smirked. "But he's not my type."

"Attractive, intelligent, and witty isn't your type?" he asked her.

"Are you sure he isn't _your_ type?" she retorted, bringing out a hearty laugh from him.

"Oh, he definitely is." He wiggled his brows and laughed.

This was nice. It felt like the good old days with Robin. In that moment, she forgot why they drifted apart from each other, or why he was bad news. In that moment, she remembered why she's in love with him – _was_ in love with him… Oh, boy.

* * *

_The next time he acknowledged her existence is a week after her father's funeral – a year after that agonizing incident. She was walking back from the cemetery one afternoon when she heard him calling out to her. She pretended not to hear him and just kept walking; she didn't want to deal with him right now – or ever. She walked faster and berated herself for not driving in the first place._

"_Regina!" Apparently, she wasn't fast enough because the next thing she knew, he was in front of her. "Regina." He said again, and she forgot how much she loved it when she hears her name from his lips. She sighs heavily and remembered why she forgot in the first place so she schooled her face into a disinterested one and looked up at him._

"_Can I help you?"_

_He looked taken aback by her harsh tone – like he wasn't expecting it from her. "I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry for your loss." She gave him a soft smile and nodded her thanks before going around him so she could continue her walk home. "Regina!" he caught up with her and grabbed her arm, making her turn around to face him._

_She pulled away from his grasp. "What do you want?"_

"_I just wanted to see if you were okay."_

"_What do you think?" she asked calmly – kind of – she's trying not to lash out at him, he's just being nice but she's not in the mood._

"_Regina," he sighed in frustration. "I'm just trying to be a good friend."_

_That did it. She glared at him and laughed humorlessly. "A good friend?" she shook her head in disbelief. "Who are you trying to kid, Robin? You are far from being a good friend."_

"_Look, I know I haven't been in touch for a while now and –"_

"_For a while?" she was furious now. "It's been a year!"_

"_I know, but –"_

"_But what?" she can feel tears in her eyes now, and it's not because of him – she's quite sure of that – it's because everything was just too much. "You were too much of a coward to actually talk to me about what happened like a decent person? Or were you so full of yourself to think that I won't be able to handle your rejection for the second time? You kissed me, not the other way around. You avoided me. You wouldn't even acknowledge me. How did you think that made me feel, Robin? You said it was a mistake, and I accepted that but you acted like what we had was something you could easily throw away – and you did. You made me feel like I was nothing, like I wasn't important enough to you. I trusted you and you let me down. You want to be a good friend? Well, you're too late. I lost my best friend when you walked out the damn door."_

"_Regina, I'm sorry." He sounded sincere but she didn't care._

"_You're sorry?" she huffed out a breath. "Well, that makes it all better now, doesn't it?" she turned to walk away but Robin grabbed her arm again. "Let go of me." She said through gritted teeth._

"_Please, Regina. Just give me a chance to make it up to you." He begged before letting her go. _

_She didn't waste any more time and walked away quickly, never looking back even once._

* * *

She and Henry went straight home after dropping the Locksley boys home. They all had a grand time hanging out at the diner. It was nice catching up with Robin and feeling like nothing's changed at all. She did notice, however, that her feelings for him never really went away. She found herself wishing that they still had the relationship they once had.

It was now ten thirty and she was watching reruns of _The Office_ in the living room when the doorbell rang. She wondered who it could possibly be visiting at this late hour. She groaned as she made her way to the front door. She swung it open and was surprised to see Robin on the other side.

"Hello, Regina." He smiled.

"Robin?" she felt the cool night air touching her skin, making her shiver – although, it could also be because of him.

"Can I have a moment? I was hoping we could talk."

She eyed him curiously before nodding. "Sure, let me just grab my sweater. We'll talk outside."

Once she put her sweater on, she joined Robin on the steps and sat down beside him. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked.

He laughed nervously before running a hand through his hair. "I honestly don't know. I walked here thinking I knew what I wanted to say but…" he trailed off. "It's just… seeing you today made me think – a lot."

Her heart was pounding now. "Think about what?"

"How I was incredibly and utterly stupid for treating you the way I did all those years ago."

"Robin –"

"No," he stopped her and turned to look at her in the eye. "I have to say this."

She nodded and swallowed hard.

"I was in love with you for a long time." He admitted and it took her a while to grasp that new piece of information. She could only blink in response. "And I think I still am."

"Wha –" she doesn't even know what to say.

"No, I _know_ I still am." He told her. "I was just too afraid to accept it back then, I don't know why but I was. I thought it would ruin what we had – our friendship – but I ended up doing that myself. Kissing you that night wasn't a mistake. Walking away, leaving you alone, and making you think that you weren't important was a mistake because you _are_ important to me, Regina. And I'm sorry for taking this long to finally realize that." She stared at him wide-eyed, not knowing what to say or do. "Please say something."

"I… What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know." He laughed softly before running his hand through her hair. "I love you, Regina Mills, and I know I have to make up for everything I did to you. I want to be with you and be there for you, if you'd allow me."

Part of her wanted to say no, to make him feel what she felt when he rejected her – twice – but part of her wanted to say yes. She was conflicted; she would be lying if she said that she trusted him with her heart because she's afraid of taking this leap of faith. It's going to take a while for her to fully trust him again but this could be the first step to opening her heart again.

"Okay."

"Okay?" he smiled even wider. "Really?"

She nodded. "I want us to take it slow."

"Of course."

"We have all the time in the world," she told him. "I don't want us to end up making the same mistakes we did all those years ago."

"I understand."

"Alright." She sighed shakily. "And I love you too."

He leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back with the same intensity he's giving her and in that moment, everything just felt so right. Of course, this won't fix what was broken from the past but it's a start to putting the pieces back together.


End file.
